Loose Threads
by Nellee
Summary: "Let's play a game of true love. The first person to feel something for the other loses." "What happens when one loses?" "Oh, I think you already know the answer to that." An evil smile tugged at his lips. "All's fair in love and war, my dear Lorraina." What neither expected, was to be losing to the other. [PAN/OC AU, with mentions of high school. M for swearing & slight violence]
1. Chapter 1

**LOOSE THREADS**

* * *

_Summary: "Let's play a game of true love. The first person to feel something for the other loses." "What happens when one loses?" "Oh, I think you already know the answer to that." An evil smile tugged at his lips. "All's fair in love and war, my dear Lorraina." What neither expected, was to be losing to the other. [High School AU!where Lorrie is roommates with Pan. Pan/OC.] _

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Once! No copyright is intended._

_Music: Do I wanna know? / Arabella - Arctic Monkeys_

* * *

**Chapter 1**

"Here we are again." Lorrie managed a small smile as she nimbly made her way towards the gate. She took a deep breath in, capturing the essence of the boarding school she will once be hauled up in again. Frowning once more, her mind drifting off into the endless days of the semester left, and dreading the thought of making friends but a little part of her inside, held the hope that she would finally make just one friend - it didn't even have to be a friend. Maybe one person to acknowledge her, one person to actually strike up a conversation with her, without the nagging voice of a teacher who had paired the unlucky soul with her.

Hiking up her suitcase in one hand and holding her hat to her head while the wind bristled past, she looked sideways, friends were now clustered on the front lawn, happy, smiling, laughing. Looking up at the building once more, she muttered to herself. "It's a pity, really. You look pretty from the outside, but the inside is a whole different story. Isn't it?"

Much to her surprise, a quite yet distinctive laughter erupted from behind her. Turning, she saw a boy, a tall boy, possibly half a head taller than her, leaning against the iron gates. His face was strange, she noted. His hair was tousled to one side, whilst his face supported a smirk that grew wider the longer she stared - looked. He uncrossed his arms as he slowly approached her.

She hadn't noticed how close he he had gotten. Not knowing how to react, she stood frozen in place, suitcase still in hand, as the boy leaned closer. _This is awfully uncomfortable_. She thought as his lips lightly brushed her ear - almost feathery like. "Welcome to hell." He whispered.

His voice was enough to send shivers down her spine alone.

When she finally snapped out of whatever trance he had put her in, he was back, comfortably leaning on the rusted gates, the same smirk on his face. Lorrie blinked several times, her head wondering if she had actually imagined what had taken place. _My head does have a mind of its own._

Quickly, but composed, she scurried past the strange boy, and into what many regarded as the gates of hell. _I wonder why they call it that._ She commented sarcastically. She looked down at her feet, curious as to why they had stopped moving. Much to her shock, she found a red line, separating the school and the road. She thought about it, for a moment too long she had presumed when she saw the very same boy leering at her oddly.

Without any last thoughts, she stepped over, releasing one long held breath. _There's no going back now._

* * *

It has been days since she first laid eyes on the big stone building. Truthfully, time seemed to have slowed down whenever she was near people. Was it sad to say that the only time she relished and enjoyed was when she was alone? And the only company she enjoyed was those of her books? She laid on her bed, a book resting comfortably on her stomach but that was hardly any compensation for the hard bed beneath her. She shifted awkwardly and for a moment, she looked up at the ceiling, strange black marks outlined them, and so her eyes trailed it. It was almost like a map, and they lead her eyes towards the window. As if pulled towards it by a force of nature, she propped herself up on her elbows with eyes fixed on the rained-upon window.

Sighing, upset by her lack of energy she had today, she stared at the ceiling again. Missing the warmth of the book on her stomach and feeling exposed without it, her eyes left the ceiling briefly. As if on cue, a boy appeared within her vision. Her stared down at her, curiously examining her, whilst she could only do the same to him. His eyes left her face, following her body until they rested uncomfortably on her exposed stomach and reacting from his lingering looks, she immediately sat upright. Jostled from his thoughts, he coughed a muttered apology.

"I was under the assumption that I had this room alone?" She stated outright, not even noticing how cold her voice had sounded. He took a few steps back, and only after a few moments of silence did he finally speak up.

"That's what I was lead to believe too, darling." She did not like how he sneered at her when he mentioned her using a very patronising voice she did not appreciate. Lorrie opened her mouth to protest or even to say anything to defend herself when he simply hushed her up. The boy spun around, taking in the view of the empty room before turning back to her.

"I do not think that having a boy as a roommate is appropriate. I shall talk to the administrator now." She made a motion to move, but as swiftly as she had stood up, he was next to her again. Putting her hands up, ready to push the boy away if he made any ill-attempts at her. He laughed, more pretentious than thought seemly, as he swiped at her horrible attempts at shielding herself.

"And how _exactly _will you do that?" His voice was seething, controlling almost, his lips tightening into a thin line. The arrogant, signature smirk dissipating.

"How else do you think, dim-wit? I am going walk downstairs on my own two feet to talk to the administrator!" Her voice wavered slightly when he grabbed her by the hands. She did not realise why he felt the need to touch her until her feet buckled beneath her, and then she understood why with a blush on her cheeks.

"The administrations office is closed, my dear. Have you not noticed the time?" He turned her around until she faced a very simplistic but useful clock that hung above the door frame. She opened my mouth to respond but it seems he wasn't finished. But she had really not noticed the time and how quickly it had ticked by. Sunlight was almost all gone and the room began to darken.

"And I really don't think using meaningless names and taunts is the proper manner a lady such as yourself was raised to behave. Am I correct?" And the smirk reappeared once again.

"How- What- Did you just-" All her words were jumbled in a mess and quite frankly, she did not understand what was with the unnecessary lesson on how to behave. "I am not a lady."

He chuckled at her lame attempt to retort. "As you say." He mockingly bowed down. The whole ridiculous notion made her want to slap him across the cheeks. _How dare he waltz in, to my own private area, my own sanctuary and be all pretentious like that! This boy was one piece of meat! Wouldn't be too surprised though if he has his head stuck so far up his arse._

Sensing her distress, he exhaled and much to her relief, he supplied a reasonable answer to their problems and had the decency not to an ass about it. "I will talk to the lady at the office tomorrow but for one night - _assuming _that they had just put you in a wrong room, we shall leave it at this for tonight."

"What made you think I'm in the wrong room? I've been here for almost a week and you've barely been here an hour! What could possibly be so wrong in your head to not think that maybe you were assigned the wrong room?" She challenged, a smirk of her own playing on her lips.

"Because I'm never wrong." He stated, as if it was as obvious as that.

Snorting to herself, she came to the conclusion that perhaps it was fate that she had met this boy. As peculiar as he was and as irritating as his personality was, she felt drawn to him. Challenging him, arguing with him, calling him pathetic names was the most fun she had had in years and there was even a mischievous, playful glint in both their eyes.

(She did not know - nor did she care to admit - that he was already pulling at her threads, unravelling her slowly. And most of all, she was enjoying every thrilling second with him.)

* * *

"It's just one night Lorrie." She whispered before she turned back to her secluded area. But she could not deny or block out, the sounds of _him_ on the other side of the small room.

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_Just one night indeed._

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_But it was already starting to feel like forever._

* * *

_I haven't written in over a few months so please bare with me as I get this story moving along. Please review and what-not. Reviews are my life!_

_Lots of love,_

_L_


	2. Chapter 2

**LOOSE THREADS**

* * *

Summary: "Let's play a game of true love. The first person to feel something for the other loses." "What happens when one loses?" "Oh, I think you already know the answer to that." An evil smile tugged at his lips. "All's fair in love and war, my dear Lorraina." What neither expected, was to be losing to the other. [High School AU!where Lorrie is roommates with Pan. Pan/OC.]

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Once! No copyright is intended.

_Music: I Go My Own Way - MNDR._

_Author's Note: Enjoy the banter and bickering between the two characters. Thank you to all who have fav/followed. It means the world to me!_

* * *

**Chapter 2**

The next morning, Lorrie woke up, still completely feeling restless and so tired that her eyes could barely open. She hadn't been able to get a wink of sleep with _him_ snoring soundly just a few meters away. It had been a few hours but she couldn't shake off the uncomfortable, eerie feeling that lingered whenever she was within 5 feet of him. Silence filled the empty cold room as she rubbed her eyes raw. The light was bright but not the warm yellow she had grown to love. This signified that winter was coming and summer was soon to be no more.

She sat up, looking down, she found herself dressed in yesterdays clothes, her pyjamas still bundled in a messy pile at the base of her bed. Grabbing her bathrobe from the hook that hung above her wooden bedside table, she quickly swung it over her shoulder, a shiver running down her body. Glancing behind her and still feeling the awkwardness hung over her shoulder like a cloud before the rain, she tip-toed to the bathroom, which unluckily for her, was closer to the boy than she would've liked.

An old floorboard creaked beneath her feet and squeezing her eyes shut, she remained still as a statue, not wanting to wake _him_ up. Thinking she had made it safely past the snoring boy, she finally let out an exhale. A sigh of relief.

The shower was relaxing to say the least, and the hot water provided a means for her to forget that a boy was sleeping half naked in the after room. _Not an ugly one too,_ she thought to herself. Lorrie got dressed quickly, not wanting to be uncovered for long period of time with the thin, worn-out bathroom door being the only barrier separating _him_ from her. She placed a hand on the door knob but paused momentarily to listen for a second. Once she felt reassured that he was asleep by his loud snoring, she reasoned with herself it was safe to leave. Unknowingly before she had, of course, being too caught up in the moment, forgotten to take her clothes into the bathroom with her.

Lorrie slowly turned the door knob and saw him lying face down on his bed. His hair was messy and his right arm was hanging from the bed limply. She took a moment to take in his sleeping figure, it was so serene. It looked so unnatural. It was hard to imagine that he was this really obnoxious boy when awake and yet here he was slumbering so soundly, that even Lorrie was delighting in the peaceful morning. The sound of his voice made her want to tear her hair out constantly but she would not give him the satisfaction of seeing the effect he had on her.

With a quick dash across to the other side of the room, she started rummaging through the drawers for new clothes suitable for the first day of school. Her body stiffened when she heard sheets ruffle from behind her and a long, stretched yawn filled the room.

"Morning to you too, darling." Even this early in the morning, the smugness in his voice was still audible.

Frightened, she dropped her top on the ground, letting it pool at her feet and clutched the towel tighter towards her body. However, this did little good. It was barely big enough to cover what was decent. She scrambled around, pulling at the sheet down, then back up again as she realised she had almost flashed this stranger.

A dark chuckle played on his ruby lips as he smiled at her. With a playful glimmer in his eyes and a smirk tugging at his lips, he began to stretch, like he had no care in the world. Even despite the fact that she was naked in front of him, with all the cover her was a flimsy old towel. He didn't seem to mind that he was shirtless too, his toned muscles glistening slightly from the layer of sweat that coated him.

He finally made contact with her, words still clawing at her throat. "Although the thought of seeing you like this, vulnerable and exposed, is very tempting" He let his words linger. "I would much rather you put on some clothes. For both our sakes." He added much too rashly to be appreciated.

Cheeks turning crimson, Lorrie turned around. Although his presence was strong by sensing the way his blue eyes bore into her back. Not a moment after she was fully dressed, she swung around to meet him eye to eye. He was in the same position, his body hunched over his knees with his face in his hands supported by his elbows propped up on his knees. He was shirtless, of course, a sight she had learnt to both endure and appraise - silently of course.

"As much as I love to continue this witty conversation - or not, it seems." He raises one eyebrow, pretending to be deep in thought. "I have other things I'd much rather be doing." He gestured towards the bathroom where steam had begun to seep from. "So if you don't mind Lorraina, I will excuse myself from... this." He let his eyes drag over her body as though picturing her in the tiny bath towel again. Lorrie grimaced and turned her head to the side, embarrassed.

Her mouth had still not found its words. The inability to speak, or even function properly around this boy was astounding. It was a mystery as to how he had such an effect with his 'charming' personality and all. "Of course." She said, and with that, Lorrie wanted to smack herself.

He gave her one last wavering smile accompanied by one last remark, one that he knew would have her baffled and at a lost for words even more than she already was, before he slammed the door.

"Oh, did I forget to introduce myself? I'm Peter, Peter Pan."

A second ticked by.

"Oh, and Lorraina?" He called from within the other room. "You better get used to meeting on such interesting occasions. Since neither of us will be leaving sometime soon."

She paused, eyes squinting in distrust but her mind speculated how her life will change having a boy - Peter - as a roommate.

"Don't question it, my dear Lorrie. Just learn to love the game."

(From that morning onwards, she made sure to wake herself up before 5:30. This was a vital preparatory for her to get through her morning run around the lake and shower, and make it out of there before he woke up. Lorrie definitely did not want a repeat of what happened the last time he woke up to her half naked.

But it had been such a thrill, she secretly reminded herself.)

* * *

"Lorraina?" Her voice barely even touched the whispers of the air as she recalled his words.

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Only an hour later did it dawn on her that he had call Lorraina, and not Lorrie.

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What she didn't notice was how she had failed to give him her name in the first place.

* * *

It was then and there, she decided. If it was a game he wanted, then it would be a game she would play. And one hell of a game it would be.

"Peter?" She called out sweetly, flashing a cheeky grin. "We have to set some rules."

In the other room, Peter's devilish smile only grew wider. _  
_

**"Let's play."**

* * *

_Okay, so that was more banter and drama that I would've liked to put in a chapter despite the shortness of it. I will attempt to make them stretch further. But I hoped you liked that. It was quite fun writing it but it took one long time and through hell and back to get it out. I literally stayed up until 2:30am to get it done. And had to proof read it from my phone the next morning because I was too tired last night. You should expect updates once every 1-2 days. Leave a review please, I'll send you love! _

_L xx_


	3. Chapter 3

**LOOSE THREADS**

* * *

Summary: "Let's play a game of true love. The first person to feel something for the other loses." "What happens when one loses?" "Oh, I think you already know the answer to that." An evil smile tugged at his lips. "All's fair in love and war, my dear Lorraina." What neither expected, was to be losing to the other. [High School AU!where Lorrie is roommates with Pan. Pan/OC.]

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Once! No copyright is intended.

_Music: No Light, No Light - Florence + The Machine, Marching On - OneRepublic._

_Author's note: I think I do some of my best works at night. I started writing this at 11:46 and it is now 2:51. But I guess, typing on a phone slows it down plenty. The second/last part to the chapter was so hard to write. Don't know why but I think the bickering is actually harder to write than long chunks of paragraphs. But enjoy the fun Pan here, I know we all love it when he's devious and mysterious. What's a story without a little Pan mischief? But enough about my nonsense rambling and such, onto the story! Cheers for the lovely reviews, follows, favs. _

* * *

**Chapter 3**

He tapped his chin, pretending to be deep in thought. Lorrie stared at him silently, watching his every movement, every twitch of an eyebrow and every sparkle in his eyes. "Let's play a game of true love."

"What is that?" Lorrie questioned, more so furious that it sounded more like a demand. She was fascinated by his choice of game. Lorrie had expected him to offer a game of cat and mouse or even anything remotely trivial, like a video game. But oh, did Peter have another cunning plan.

"Be patient, love. I'm getting there." He took a sip of water, only afterwards taking a moment to examine his glass. He gently placed it on the table before moving closer to her. Lorrie held an anxious, shaky breath as his feet slid over the room and skidded to a halt just inches from her face. He tilted his head to the side, looking down on her with the most inquisitive, puzzled look she had seen. As soon as their eyes met, a beam lit up in his face. "The last one to feel something for the other wins."

Lorrie snorted, "What sort of game is that?"

"A valid one." He replied. He had relocated to his bed, his back facing her as he took another swig of water from his frosty glass. Lorrie watched with the inability to tear her eyes from his back.

She released the breath she hadn't realised she had been holding in for so long. Her lungs ached for air, and she gasped in pleasure when oxygen found her way down her throat. When she finally found her voice again, she pressed on the matter rather hotly. "So what? The first to care for the other loses?"

"Yes exactly." He answered in response.

"How is that even a game? You're playing on other people's feelings, teasing them, only to lead them into disappointment?" Her voice came to a screech.

He turned slowly, facing her. Eyes squinting in genuine confusion. "What's your point?"

She didn't understand how he could be so heartless. "What's the point?"

"What's the point of what?"

"The game." She replied, however more so furious than she would have liked.

Lorrie couldn't even begin to explain how everything was wrong with that game. "Fine." She snapped. "What are the rules?"

"That there are no rules, my dear sweet Lorrie." This he answered with a witty grin. "Everything is fair game."

She shuddered and then whispered. "What happens when one loses?"

He raised an eyebrow as his grin widened. "Oh, I think you already know the answer to that." An evil smile tugged at his lips. "All's fair in love and war, my dear Lorraina. You will do well to remember that."

Peter's voice had put her on edge, making her body squirm and jitter under his hot stare. He hadn't said anything after that, but no words were needed. He was challenging her with his eyes. They burned into her skin and despite her best attempts to show who much he _didn't _get under her skin, he knew. With a smirk plastered on his face permanently, she twitched and avoided his eyes, as she contemplated her answer. Deep down, she knew, she could never resist a good game. The reason behind her long decision was all a show to make Peter believe she was going to be easy to crack, easy to break, like fragile porcelain. This she could definitely use to her advantage later, and maybe even, possibly, be the winning move.

"Are you playing? Or are you afraid you'll lose?" He taunted at her, glass back in his hand. She observed quietly, noting that his knuckles had gone white while clutching the thin cylinder. He was nervous, although he held his facade of being undeterred by the amount of time she needed to make her decision.

Lorrie didn't know that Peter Pan was nervous that she would say no. But once he knew her answer, he was grinning from head to toe. He knew that he could easily win. For he, Peter Pan, did not have a heart. Therefore, he was unable to love, care and feel compassion.

_Oh, this is going to be easy._ A wicked smile licked across his face as Lorrie drew her final answer.

_The game had just begun. _

"I'm in."

* * *

The bell for lunch had just rung, and the mass of crowds made their way to the dining hall for their prepared meal. Lorrie was hesitant to this. She had never enjoyed the traditional friendly gathering, it made her uncomfortable to the bone. It wasn't because she was afraid of people, no, she had tried -on countless occasions, to be exact- to strike up a conversation here and there. But no matter what she did, smile, talk lots, talk less, it had the same outcome each time. With each conversation turned down, Lorrie felt it pulling at her self-esteem, thread by thread. She didn't learn until ten years later, that no one wanted to be friends with her. After all who would want to be friends with a girl who spent more time hiding in her room than out with friends at the mall? Who would want to be friends with a girl that had more books than friends?

In all honesty, all Lorrie ever wanted was one friend. One person to listen to her, or to comfort her as she cried herself to sleep at night. Even her parents denied her this and with each passing day, they grew more distant. At night, she could hear their screams, thrashing down in the kitchen and an hour later, one would be gone, having taken the car out for a nightly spin while the other half sobbed to herself in the kitchen. Lorrie recalled many times, how she was always the point of their daily discussions. The result was always the same - she was a disappointment. Her parents didn't even approve of her, why she would rather spend so much time with herself.

Having been treated like she had some sort of sickness her whole life, she began to believe it.

A voice interrupted her thoughts. "Lorrie?"

"What?" She snapped.

Her eyebrows creased angrily as she clenched her fist around her napkin. Closing her eyes, she breathed in and out, a technique her grandmother taught her. She was the only one in the family who held Lorrie tightly as she whispered over and over, like a chant, that she was not crazy.

"Woah, chill love. Only here to talk." He put up his hands in surrender. She nodded nervously at him and motioned for him to sit down. As he stood in front of her, dressed in khaki's and a polo top, that she suspected was supposed to be worn loose but clung to his skin, baring his defined muscles hiding beneath. At once, she tensed up, feeling unsettled and the slightest movement made her chest jump. His right hand snaked around the tip of the chair and her eyes darted to his hand immediately. Burrowing his eyebrows, he studied her, her eyes intensely staring at his knuckles. She flinched when he released one finger, and she continued to watch unmoving as he pulled out his chair with a screech and a tilt of his head. Once he was settled in his chair, she finally let her eyes travel up his body to find his face once again.

"What's gotten you twisted up in knots today?" He inquired, leaning ever so slightly across the round table.

"Nothing." She answered sharply.

"Oh. Alright then." A moment of silence followed, but the serenity was short lived, when he started to watch her with the keenest of eyes. Peter Pan was very intrigued by the girl who sat in front of him, wallowing in the peace that clearly made her awfully distressed. He began to test her, he slowly moved his hand to his pocket and as presumed, her eyes followed. But as soon as she realised he was watching her, she looked back in another direction. Again, but much more subtly, he began to tap his fingers lightly on the edge of the table, and without a doubt, her head whipped around to meet him in the eye.

With a smirk playing at his lips, she spoke agitated. "What do you think your doing?" It was a hiss.

"Me?" His eyes widened as he mocked shock. "Why would you accuse me of doing anything?"

"Because I know you." She pointed her finger, direct and straight. Her eyes scrunched in accusation. "And Peter Pan always has tricks up his sleeves."

"That, you are quite right, my dear Lorrie." His eyes darkened until his smile grew so large, his whole face was a mysterious place. His head, well that was something else entirely. His head was a place of _darkness_. A place no one wanted to be. "But do you really know me, Lorraina?" He now had his arms crossed in front of him, resting on the table while he continued to tauntingly test her. Lorrie herself, unknowingly, had begun to move closer to Peter. Her face now showed no signs of anything _but_ rage.

"Will you please stop calling me that!" _Good, he was getting under her skin._

"As soon as you start telling me what's bothering you so much?" He pestered further. He was staring at her with an unreadable smirk - one that she had yet to unmask. And it unnerved her.

"Nothing is bothering me, okay!" However the sentence said everything but that.

"Are you quite sure, Lorraina?" His voice gnawed at her, he was deliberately provoking her.

"Yes!" She answered forcefully and sharply.

"Are you really?"

"Peter!" She spat, lowering her voice with a furious glare. "Will you please leave me alone?" She scowled, and he was almost taken aback. _Almost_. He had never seen her despise him this much in the past week, and this excited him.

But Peter suddenly frowned. His lips tightening into a firm line. "Not until you tell me what's bothering you."

She breathed, at a loss. "It's you! Okay? You're bothering me!" She threw her hands up in the air and then as fast as they shot up, they came down crashing on the wooden table. For once, she did not care how many people were staring wide-eyed at her. For once, she was standing up for herself, again this, this obnoxious boy who thought he was so witty. _Oh, h__ow she would like to prove him wrong. _

"But what am I doing?" He feigned innocence. "You offered me a seat here. None of this is of _my_ doing."

"It is always of your doing. Its this." She pointed around her, " This is all your stupid game."

"My sweet dear Lorrie, you would really think so low of me to think that I would make you uncomfortable to win a silly game?"

She stilled and voiced, "I guess not."

"Good, then you keep thinking that." He declared in low, deep tones. He looked her straight in the eye, daring her to look away, but at the same time, maybe hoping somehow that she wouldn't.

"Ugh! You frustrate me, Peter Pan." Before she made a move to walk away, she flared her nostrils at him and her voice warned him one last time. _Do not push me, Peter Pan_. The eyes cautioned, but he, being Peter Pan, could not resist.

"Glad to know it dear." He spoke the next one much more quietly. "Because if I can frustrate you, I can make you feel something much more."

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From that day, Lorrie vowed not to let Peter Pan get in her head ever again.

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Not long after Lorrie had stalked away, her anger gone with her, a boy with a scar slashed across his face approached the young boy, now sitting alone on the table. With one last glance over her shoulder before she exited the hall, Lorrie noticed the two figures hunched in the shadows of the table, where no sunlight shone through. She made a mental note, not to ever agree to another game with Peter Pan, ever again.

By now, the boy in the brown cloak was now standing still behind Peter. He bowed his head slightly, in acknowledgement of his best friend but also, leader of sorts for their gang of misfits. "I think you're going to need to change your tactics Pan." He finally spoke, his words drawn out slowly, enunciating each word aloud.

"But where's the fun in that, Felix?" Peter finally turned around. "The game is only starting to getting interesting."

* * *

_Okay, before all you people go on and say how unrealistic it is for a boy and girl to be roommates at a boarding school. This is Peter Pan we're talking about, THE PETER PAN and in neverland, nothing is impossible. Keep that in mind. ;). Oh! And if you have any ideas what you want to happen in the game, let me know in a review or PM! Otherwise, much love and goodnight. _

_L xx_

_(P.S Please excuse all grammar mistakes, I wrote this late last night and proofread it at like 3 o'clock. And I was so tired so I'm only posting it now, because I really cannot do anymore to this chapter.)_


	4. Chapter 4

**LOOSE THREADS**

* * *

Summary: "Let's play a game of true love. The first person to feel something for the other loses." "What happens when one loses?" "Oh, I think you already know the answer to that." An evil smile tugged at his lips. "All's fair in love and war, my dear Lorraina." What neither expected, was to be losing to the other. [High School AU!where Lorrie is roommates with Pan. Pan/OC.]

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Once! No copyright is intended.

_Music: Cosmic Love & Only If For A Night - Florence And The Machine_

_Author's note: Never really thought about the chapter, this is what happens when you write at night with nothing but feelings overflowing inside you. I think I'm going to write my chapters at night and then work on them more the next morning, because let me tell you, I get the craziest of ideas when I'm half asleep. So, keep tuned, you never know what will happen next! Enjoy this chapter xx_

* * *

**Chapter 4**

"If you'll allow me, I have something to show you." Lorrie was skeptical. The last time Peter Pan wanted something from her, she almost burst into tears, an act she had not done since she was six years old. But his innocent look made her think twice if making her cry was really his aim today.

"Alright, what is it?" She asked wearily.

"Not now, of course. We need to get there first." To this, Lorrie eyed him carefully. Peter was standing, putting more weight on his left leg as he extended his left arm to her invitingly. His fingers seemed to curl upwards, his elbow bent slightly, as he awaited her response eagerly. This seemed to put Lorrie on edge, sensing his neediness to show her something, she speculated whether to go. She had never seen him so frenzied, so dependent on another. He always seemed to demand, rather than ask. Odd as it seemed, this was an ask.

She made no move to follow him and voiced this instead. "Where are we going?"

"I can't exactly tell you that." He said in a defeated whisper, eyes unable to meet hers.

She blinked, confused. "Why not?"

"You're just going to have to trust me." His eyes were warm and she reached out, compelled by unusual compassion in his tone of voice.

"I hope I'm not making a mistake in trusting you." Though his brow furrowed at her statement, he didn't make a comment. Instead, he grasped onto her hand tightly and led her out the door, into the enticing warmth of the outdoor sun.

* * *

After what seemed like an hour of walking, Lorrie was beginning to get impatient. Her feet were sore from wearing the wrong shoes. He had not mentioned to put on walking shoes, so she had opted out for her Mary Janes. They were comfortable, or at least, she had thought so when she made her choice. Now, she was regretting that she had not inquired vaguely as to what he was leading her to. _Her death from walking, it seemed. _

She found herself surrounded by tall trees. If she had to predict, she would say they were at least a few hundred years old. They were marvellous, the way the tree branches swayed in the weak wind. The trunks were thick and sturdy and time seemed to stand still there.

She had released Peter's hand when they were past the field of daisies, enjoying the freedom of not being confined within walls and rooms. However, she did not like that he had whisked her during fourth period. It was the first time she had missed a class. But that thought was far from her mind. She bounced around, although staying on the trail. She travelled lightly on her foot, reaching to touch everything in arms length.

She was very unhappy when she felt Peter's cool palm against her arm, and the look in his eyes made her recoil her arm immediately.

"Don't touch that." His voice was sharp like a hiss. "It's got thorns that spout out deadly poison."

That, she was very grateful to Peter Pan.

She snapped her head in the other direction, thinking she had heard talking nearby. "How much longer?"

"Not that much further." Peter clutched onto a scrap piece of fabric, as he walked in front of her, making sure the path was safe to navigate through. He had been in this part of forrest many times. It was far from the school; that was one of the many reasons why he had chosen to hid out so far. Away from the prying eyes of nosy children and bossy adults, who always instructed and scolded him that he was doing wrong.

"We're here."

When he stopped walking, she had to dig her heels into the dirt ground hard, to prevent herself from colliding into him. She thought it best not to crash into him, as he would lecture her about how she should have her eyes trained on where she was walking, rather than on the birds flying above her head. She could not help it - she had never seen a place so beautiful.

Unknowingly, when she had almost bumped into Peter, she had placed her hands on his back to steady herself, and only when he turned around, did she notice that she was now touching his chest. He shot her a small grin, it was sly and gone within a second, but she had caught it. With a blush to the cheeks, she removed them.

Looking into her eyes, he used a hand to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear while using the other to hand her the piece of cloth.

"What is this for?" Lorrie asked flustered.

"You, of course."

"I know it's for me, but why do I need it?" She gripped onto the fabric as she wound it around her palm nervously.

"It's not why you need it, so much as why need you to put it on." He slid behind her, his musky scent swirling in the breeze. His fingers brushed her ear slightly, raising goosebumps on the side of her face. He released the cloth when he was satisfied that she could no longer see.

Unamused by his antics, she demanded. "Why do you need me to put it on?"

"So you don't know where our hideout is, of course." _Of course,_ Lorrie thought, because it was so plainly obvious to everyone else as it was to Peter Pan.

* * *

"Where are we going anyway Peter?" He was holding onto her hand, squeezing it tightly every time she stumbled. Lorrie could tell he was beginning to get frustrated, but he was not the only agitated party between the two.

"I think you should take more care as to where you put your feet, you should really take more care-."

"I would, but seeing as I can't SEE." She hissed interrupting him, "I have no idea where to put my feet. If you didn't want to be guiding me like a little puppy dog, you shouldn't have made me put on the blindfold in the first place." She was now forcing each word roughly through her clenched teeth. He bit down on his bottom lip when he noted how bitter her voice sounded. _It almost sounded like a threat. _

"Oh." That was all he said in response.

He lead her further into the jungle, making double sure to catch her when she fell, and she did on multiple occasions. Though he could still feel anger shooting off her body in burning sensations, he knew he was to blame for her almost rolling her ankle.

Being blind for another five or so minutes, she began to appreciate her other senses, her nose was filled with his musky scent. It had a hint of wood, and she assumed it was because he came here, out this far into the middle of nowhere frequently. But she could not detect what that woody smell was, as she only caught a whiff of it when he caught her in his arms. She could feel his hot breath tickling her neck as he coddled her to his chest every time she tripped and it took every urge in her body to not rip off the blindfold and crush her lips to his, despite all their clashing arguments, and the way he frustrated her to worlds end. She felt this magnetic pull towards him, one she had to fight off desperately as it tried to consume her.

Every time she felt his touch on her bare arm, her skin flushed red and her arm under his smooth fingers were hot and she would try to tear herself away. He did not let her go altogether, pushing her deeper into the jungle with a reassuring hand on her back, and small heated breaths and murmurs in her ear.

"And as for where we are headed, I can't tell your that even if I wanted, but I can tell you who you will meet there." He answered, his voice crisp but merely a whisper. The tone of his voice made her second guess whether she really wanted to know, but seeing as she had come this far, there was no point in turning back now.

"Tell me." She took a gulp. "Who?"

"My friends."

* * *

_I think I'm having a florence and the machine obsession. Anyway, I find their songs really fitting for this story. This chapter and the next was meant to be one chapter but I found it splitting it into two to be best or it would be like 4,000 words long, and I don't really like long chapters but if you do, it's only one days wait! Thank you again to all who have fav/followed/reviewed! It means so much to me. _

_L xx_


	5. Chapter 5

**LOOSE THREADS**

* * *

Summary: "Let's play a game of true love. The first person to feel something for the other loses." "What happens when one loses?" "Oh, I think you already know the answer to that." An evil smile tugged at his lips. "All's fair in love and war, my dear Lorraina." What neither expected, was to be losing to the other. [High School AU!where Lorrie is roommates with Pan. Pan/OC.]

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Once! No copyright is intended.

_Music: Swimming - Florence And The Machine_

_Author's note: Here comes the second part to meeting Peter's friends, AKA the lost boys! Yay! But I have to warn you, they don't play a massive part in the story. And I know everyone says to plan ahead, but I can only do a one or two chapters ahead before my head starts to think up everything that is wrong with it. So, just go along for the ride, I guess? And I know I said I'd post yesterday but I was so tired, so I'm posting this now. Sorry to those I made wait! :(_

* * *

**Chapter 5 (Or Chapter 4 Part II)**

"How much longer do I need to have this stupid rag over my eyes." Lorrie let out a heavy sigh as she fiddled with the frayed hem of the cloth, every inch and fibre of her body told her to rip it off but she drew painful, jagged breaths. It was rather stuffy beneath the mask. It covered majority of her nose as well, making it unnecessarily hard to breathe.

He chucked, amused at my impatience. "Not long to go now, Lorrie."

"But you've been making me sit here for the past hour!" She whined. "In the exact same spot."

"It has not been an hour. Only 20 minutes." He clarified.

"Gee, thanks." She said sarcastically, to which he only snorted. "But what the hell Peter, twenty whole minutes?"

"Yes, and I'm afraid you'll be waiting a bit longer."

"But Peter-r-r?" She drowned her voice as she drew her words to a longing stop.

"Boy, are you firing off with the questions today." She could hear Peter's short exhales, but did not say anything. He sighed, over and over, many times. At first, being bored, she had counted each and every single time he did so, but grew increasingly bored when that was all he did for the next few minutes.

She couldn't take this any longer; she was agitated by his lack of responses and the sheer fact that he had brought her to the middle of know where, for gods sake. If it was questions, he wanted, it was questions she could give him. "First, I am a girl and not a boy. And secondly, you didn't answer me."

"Don't see why I need to." He retorted, tempting her over the edge.

Sensing the daggers she was sending his way through the thick rags, he replied quickly. "Okay, jeez. You're incredibly impatient today. Are you always like this?" He joked but when he turned around, and faced her, he could tell she was raging inside, like she was battling a demon. _Best not to get on her bad side Peter, _he told himself

"Peter-" she warned. _Maybe she was the demon, _he thought to himself, and snickered silently.

"Why are you laughing?" She narrowed her voice.

Hearing that, he immediately subsided his laughter and answered her, "Fine! Since the boys have been very naughty and have not done anything I asked them to do since last week, you're the one who has to suffer the consequences." Lorrie had a feeling that he was no longer talking to her anymore.

"How is that fair?"

She could sense his shrug. "Don't know, beats me."

Ignoring him, she tuned in her senses, particularly her hearing. If she listened carefully, she could hear hushed whispers that belonged to a group of 5 boys, give or take. And she guessed they were between ages 12 and 17, by the sound of their voices. She was very much intrigued now; she heard mentions of a girl, Peter and something about Neverland and bring her there? All these words of course, did not make any sense to her at all and she brushed them out of her head without a second though. However, her curiosity still remained.

To her utter bewilderment, her mind being very much absent at that point, the blindfold that held her ocularly impaired, dropped to her lap with a small, satisfying whoosh.

It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the bright light, but when they did, she found herself perched on a rock in the middle of a meadow. It was mainly bare, save for some twigs and fallen branches scattered here and there. The small clearing was surrounded by tall trees that hung over softly, but still provided earnest amount of sunlight to pass through. They encompassed the area, like a fortress and she begun to understand why Peter liked this place so much.

She looked around in wonder and did not notice small figures slowly entering the clearing. Only when she heard muttered hellos and a loud cough, she spun around to meet Peter in the face.

His face showed no traces of anything but excitement. Fire in his eyes as a smirk danced on his lips. He battered an eyelash and raised an eyebrow at her. "Well, Lorrie. How are you enjoying our home?"

"Home?" She narrowed her eyes. "You live here?"

"Not exactly. We all live in the boarding house, like you, but we seek comfort here. It's the only place we can really be ourselves and be... free." He spoke the last word, much more slowly than the rest as if he were carefully selecting which word he should use.

"Right." She answered.

He then spread his arms wide, welcoming the boys who were staring at her like they had never seen a girl before. His voice bounced off the trees and echoed in her ear. "Meet my friends." He let his voice linger in the air, pausing for the dramatics. "The lost boys."

* * *

It was beginning to get dark, having spent the last hour trekking through what seemed like a rainforest and waiting. Lorrie felt the first effects of a winters night as a breeze drifted through her. She shuddered involuntarily and crouched closer to the fire, the boys had prepared a little earlier. It's flame was bright orange and glowed when the wind was present. Sparks flew off in all directions when the youngest of boys threw twigs and sticks into the heat.

There were actually seven boys, she had counted, eight including Peter. From the ones she had spoken to, she gathered that they were generally well-mannered and did seem to be courteous in the presence of a girl. She was happy, chatting to the boys about anything - and everything. They spoke about school, dreams and family - or what little they had remembered about their relatives. She smiled gently at each 'lost boy', as Peter liked to refer to them by, and recalled their names like a prayer in her mind.

One name she could not replace, Felix. Lorrie remembered him, he was the first one to greet her as she arrived at the school. Now, that she thought twice, it was rather a snide comment that the school was hell, rather than an actual greeting. She shrugged this off but it still bothered her that he made no move to introduce himself. He did not appear to be overly fond of her, that much she was definitely sure of. Despite her best attempts at guessing, he remained a puzzle to solve. He did his best to avoid her and it worked. He simply hung around, sulking with Pan in the darkness of the trees.

She tore her eyes off them and distracted herself with a new topic. "Why do you call yourselves the lost boys?"

A young boy, the youngest of the pack answered her. "I don't know miss. Seemed to always have been that way." She nodded slowly, "My name is Tootles."

"Nice to met you, Tootles. I'm Lorrie." She rubbed his hair and he laughed, along with the other boys at her childish action.

"We know, Peter spoke about you." He replied to her really quickly, making her head to the tilt to side as she looked at them.

She narrowed her eyes at Peter, only barely able to make out his blurred figure from afar. "He speaks about me, does he now?"

"Shit. We weren't meant to tell her that! Peter specifically told us NOT to tell her." One of the other boys, she was not so familiar with, snapped at Tootles, who was now grinning sheepishly. "We're all in trouble now. Thanks a lot Tootles." Another spoke.

"Hey, hey!" She raised her voice a little, only enough to gain their attention. "I won't tell him." She reassured them and they all sent her grateful smiles.

"Thank you miss, you're very kind." They all complimented. She smiled, thinking to herself that no one in her life had treated her that politely and with that amount of manners. She appreciated it, she really did.

After the playful moment ended, she returned back to the topic, "Always?" She questioned.

They nodded in unison.

"How long is always?" She asked again, another boy cut in this time, eager to answer her before Tootles could even open his mouth. He had short orange hair that bounced and curled in all wild directions. His name was Curly. _Seems fitting._

"A matter of days, months, years. Who really knows?"

"How long have you been here?" They gave her a puzzled look, and she added. "Friends with Peter, I mean."

It was Tootles who spoke again, "Not to long, I suppose. But I really wouldn't know, I can't remember that far back. Would have to say a while ago, miss."

She offered him a small smile and looked back at Peter, who was now looking at her with a dark glint in his eye. He and Felix had not moved for the past hour, just talking in the shadows of the night but she did not miss the occasional glance that he shot at her. She caught it every single time, from the corner of her eye, and sometimes she let it be. Not having the courage to look him in the eye for too long at once.

"Why do you stay Tootles?" She looked him in the eye, "I know he doesn't treat you very nicely." She whispered.

"He does alright by me, most of the time." The other boys were silent, _seemed like no one else wanted to do the talking now_. "He's not so bad when you get to know him."

"What is he when he's not 'not so bad'?" Her voice lowered, a little scared.

"Let's just say, you wouldn't want to be there when it happens, miss. Best you get as far away as possible when it does."

She gulped, heart missing a beat.

That was the end of that conversation. She had to admit she was frightened when Tootles spoke his last words and she did well to heed his warning. He seemed to have relaxed more after that conversation ended, turning sleepy by the mesmerising flicker of the flames. She too, was getting a little tired.

"Lorrie?" It was Peter and she tried to manage a nod. She failed miserably.

He chuckled softly as he hoisted her into his arms. Sensing safety and seeking comfort, she curled into his chest. "Best get you back to your room now."

She nodded but even in her drowsy state, she took full notice as to why he didn't call it her home. However, she decided, this she could pester him about, when the next morning light came.

"Will she be back soon Peter?" The boys asked, now stirred awake by the sounds of his footsteps on the dry grass. She wanted to ask why the boys chose to sleep out here, by a fire on a cold winters night, instead of the cosy rooms provided by the school. By now, she was getting far too tired to open her eyes, much less move her mouth. So, she relaxed into his touch, reminding herself that she had two important questions to ask him the following morning.

"Of course she will, my dear friends. She belongs here - she just doesn't know it yet. But deep in her heart, she's truly one of us."

* * *

_I hope you liked meeting the lost boys. It's always so much fun to write them! But I don't think they'll be a major part of this story, Felix is a some-time recurring guest in this story, and Peter and Lorrie and the main characters that get nearly all the screen time. But if you like reading about the lost boys, then you could tell me in a review. Only more reason to leave one. Hehe. _

_See you next time and keep warm (even though it's summer here!), L._

_Oh! And we're at 770 views for the story so far! Let's get it to 1,000 before I post the next chapter! :D_


	6. Chapter 6

**LOOSE THREADS**

* * *

Summary: "Let's play a game of true love. The first person to feel something for the other loses." "What happens when one loses?" "Oh, I think you already know the answer to that." An evil smile tugged at his lips. "All's fair in love and war, my dear Lorraina." What neither expected, was to be losing to the other. [High School AU!where Lorrie is roommates with Pan. Pan/OC.]

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Once! No copyright is intended.

_Music: Seven Devils - Florence & The Machine_

_Author's note: This is just a filler chapter, while I take my long needed break for the weekend, next chapter will be out either late tomorrow or the day after. Expect updates every second day from now on! I'm sorry if you expected every day but it's getting harder and harder to write. But enjoy this while you can. xx_

* * *

**Chapter 6**

It was late into the night, possibly early morning when Lorrie woke gasping for air, hands immediately flinging to her throat as her nightmare filled her head with terror. She had stumbled her way into the bathroom, finding comfort and security when the cold water splashed on her hot, sweaty face. This reminded Lorrie that all nightmares had been just that, nightmares - neither to be really feared. Her stomach rested uneasy at the thought of falling back into slumber for fear that her pain would once again haunt her. However, sleep nagged at her mind and she finally gave in.

She resided back into her welcoming bed, curling back into a ball, sobbing softly to herself. She was so caught up in her own worries that even Peter's presence went unnoticed. He had jerked out of his peaceful sleep by the muffled cries of a girl. Out of wonder, he watched her climb out of bed with unsteady feet and several minutes later, back in again.

With a girl he barely knew crying to herself, Peter was at a lost as to what he should do. Should he leave silently while he still could unnoticed or should he comfort the young girl in distress? He was never one for compassion and caring in the conventional sense. No one seemed to understand, they called him heartless, a monster. But as he looked down on the frail shivering girl, he felt a knot in his stomach. Peter felt the overwhelming desire to comfort her. With one last agitated breath he muttered. "What am I do with you, Lorraina?"

She had made him feel things, things that he had never experience before; pain, inscrutable hatred, and last but not least, an odd tingling sensation that touched his heart every time her musical laugh lit the room. He did not accept the last feeling as one of his, but he did not completely disregard it altogether. He locked it away, in the deepest darkest corners of his heart, hoping that it would not grow into something more.

Lorrie was wide awake when Peter spoke his first words of the night. He must've assumed she was sleeping, but she was wide awake. She leaned into her right arm, eyes bearing into the plain white wall lit by the moon shone, and listened. She waited for him to make another comment, to protest what she had just heard.

Nothing came.

When she realised this, she spoke, "Come to get more snarky comments in before the sun rises, I see." She tried to do so in a jokingly manner but her voice cracked and croaked, her voice breaking as a result of her previous state.

Peter didn't realise she had heard him when he climbed out of bed and tip-toed towards her huddled form. He had tried to be as silent as the night but his hollowed breathing was a dead giveaway. As she turned to face him, her face shining under the moon lighy, he saw. The fire that once burned in her eyes was drowned out by a sea of tears. And he could not help but feel saddened over the cowering form of the girl.

"No." It was barely a whisper. He gently placed himself on the edge of the bed, and spoke softly. "Not tonight it seems."

No one had ever heard him that sincere before. Acknowledging this, Lorrie simply shook her head and sighed. "I don't want to go back to sleep, Peter."

Unaware of her actions, Lorrie had shifted closer to Peter. His body warmth and presence drawing her closer. It did not take much to admit that she enjoyed it when he was around, but to what extent in which her happiness stemmed from him, she could not comprehend. And she would rather it have strayed to the furthest regions that her mind could not reach.

"Why not?" His voice was so faint as he watched her intently. He moved, closing in the gap between them, shaping and carving his body to fit on the small bed whilst Lorrie laid her head in his lap. With sad eyes, he took pity on her. She looked so delicate, fragile, as if he could break her by simply moving.

And he tried not to for that reason. Although, he didn't deny the feeling that being the one to break her was one, the deepest, darkest part of his mind, had once came across.

"Because I'm scared." She whimpered weakly, letting her eyes flutter close while Peter held a strong arm around her.

His breathing hitched, and he hesitated, though after short deliberation, gave her an honest nod. He swallowed painfully, the bulge in his throat was desperately hard to ignore. Without trying to sound like he was itching all over, and a fire igniting in his throat, he croaked out. "What are you so scared of?"

He ran his fingers through her silky brunette locks with shaky hands. He took quick jabs at the air, clawing any oxygen he could into his much needed lungs. Rather than answer, she inched closer until their bodies could not be any closer physically. She jammed her eyes closed and waited. Lorrie had no clue what she was waiting for, only that maybe if she stayed still, a solution would come to her, a ladder to the grave she had dug herself into. She did not know how to tell him that she was afraid of _him_. Afraid of losing herself to someone, having to be living in someone else's shadow and not in her own spotlight.

Silence soon followed, and Peter gulped, words choking in his throat, as he grew frighteningly agitated.

She sighed and collapsed further into his warm body, "The dark." She lied. Words piercing the room.

Peter had found her petty lie unconvincing but he no intentions of pushing the matter, considering her distressed state. "Do you want me to leave you alone?" He asked plainly.

"No." She gripped his arm, and with pleading eyes, she begged. "Please stay."

And he did.

At ease physically, Lorrie soon allowed her emotions to follow. She closed her mouth, opened her mind and let it wonder. Until she was blocked by a question she wanted - no, desired, to know the answer to. She looked up at him, blue eyes burning into one another, neither daring to look away. With shaky breaths, she awaited his answer. "What makes you scared Peter?"

"I'm not afraid of anything." He answered sharply. She looked him in the eye, searching for something, anything remotely human. And as if she had found her answer, and much to Peter's disorientation, she allowed her head fall back onto his chest and let final words linger for a long time after.

"I don't believe you."

* * *

She was right, he was withholding the truth. There was one thing that scared him, but he would not share it. Fear was for the weak. And Peter Pan was **never** weak.

Peter waited out the time between when she spoke her final words and when her breathing began to even. He used this time in solitude to think over his decisions, having much to discuss with himself. He argued with himself, at great lengths, but in the end, the result was the same.

.

He was beginning to feel.

.

.

.

**_Two days ago_**

_"Are you sure you didn't put me in the wrong room?" He urged desperately. His voice raised up in semi tones when he saw her begin to lose interest. To be fair, it was not her fault. She had answered his questions over and over, with as much kindness she could muster. To this, Peter was very grateful, but he still did not understand._

_"No, I'm quite certain that Ms Harcison is in room 19, not room 61. In fact, I'm 100% sure. I told her the same thing when she came down yesterday asking the exact same question." The lady at the desk told him. With that, she began swiping at her keyboard again, frantically slapping letters onto the computer screen._

_"Thank you." He offered a gentle smile but when she saw how much discomfort he was in, she offered a consoling pat on the arm. It did little good to ease his distracted mind._

_._

_._

_._

_If Lorrie knew she was in the wrong room, why had she chosen to stay?_

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

_Better yet, why had he allowed her to do so?_

* * *

Peter never really understood it himself, why he let her stay. He knew that if she ever found out that he knew too, she would most certainly leave. And that wasn't an option for either of them. "I won't allow you to leave anyway, I'm too selfish."

His face suddenly turned dark and the same evil smirk played at his lips again. "Besides, you can't play a game with only one person." He paused. "And what's life without a little game and occasional mischief?"

* * *

Lorrie had woken several times after falling asleep, and yet she still found herself cradled in Peter's embrace. Although, he had moved her considerably closer. She let herself relax with her eyes closed, listening to Peter banter with himself. She had pretended to be asleep while he continued to stroke her hair. He was quite the interesting fellow when he could be kind and gentle. So she had stayed put, ears trained on his mumbling. Lorrie had been expecting a lot of things, but least of all, him admitting that he was too selfish to let her go. She knew how that felt, she knew that the dark hole inside the pit of her stomach was because of _him, Peter_.

Lorrie did not miss the way her stomach flipped or the way her heart skipped when he was near. But she would not allow her heart to feel. Not again. Not ever.

With a smug smile of her own, she let him know she was fully awake. "Careful there love. One might begin to think you felt something there."

Startled, Peter jumped slightly, his breathing hiccuped as he settled back onto the bed. "I don't know what you're talking about." He defended weakly. "You were having a nightmare, I simply provided a means of relief for you." He insisted, perhaps a little too desperately. It was obvious how he had gone to great lengths to make that statement true, and naturally Lorrie knew better.

This only made her tired smile grow wider. "All's fair in love and war, my dear Peter Pan."

Peter watched her with wide eyes as she repeated his words back to him, staring idly at her while he sat there numbly, table to form formidable arguments to challenge her but all he could do was fumble with his words, much to Lorrie's delight. Soon, the inaudible mumbling turned into incoherent swearing, until he finally snapped his final words. "Just go to sleep."

She opened her eyes and stared at him, tempting him, testing him if he would take the bait. "Always have to get the last word, don't you Peter Pan?"

He did.

"No." He barked.

Lorrie just laughed contently.

* * *

But the damage had already taken its toll. He was losing at the game, he was losing to her. The girl he had sworn off at their first meeting, the girl that constantly nagged at him to make his bed, pick up his clothes from the floor and put down the toilet seat. It was always trivial matters that she scowled at him for, although her consistency on the subject were quite regular. He had grown accustomed to dealing with this, and when he didn't, he felt himself slipping, going insane at the thought as to why she wasn't in his arms desperately begging for him to stop with the mind games.

No, she never did any of the sort.

She held her head high each time he made a swipe at her, and she was always ready to strike back, pounce with a retort rolling off her tongue. She was fire, deadly fire. It was what drew him to her initially and was the reason why he couldn't let her go now.

When he met her, he made a promise never to let her get in his head and here she was. Using **his** tricks against him. She was playing a dangerous game, one that Peter Pan was so sure he could win with a snap of his fingers. Now, he didn't know whether he could even come out the other end unscathed. It was going to be a brutal fight, until only one remained victorious. However, even this, Peter wasn't so sure of anymore. And if he was to win, he would be dragged to the pits of hell with her.

She was his only weakness. She was making him feel again. Something he thought he'd do again but she was. Lorrie was unravelling him like a spool of thread and with easy loose thread that came out, he slowly came undone.

.

.

.

.

Peter Pan was starting to love.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

And this, **terrified** him.

* * *

_Um, I have nothing to say to this. I literally pulled this out of thin air. Guess I'm a magician now? Thank you to everyone who has read this story and it is amazing! I am getting at least 80 people following this story consistently with over 1,000 views for the entire story. I am so stoked! So, I want to take the time to thank everyone again. I would appreciate it even more if you left a teeny, eenie review? _

_Love from L xx_


	7. Chapter 7

**LOOSE THREADS**

* * *

Summary: "Let's play a game of true love. The first person to feel something for the other loses." "What happens when one loses?" "Oh, I think you already know the answer to that." An evil smile tugged at his lips. "All's fair in love and war, my dear Lorraina." What neither expected, was to be losing to the other. [High School AU!where Lorrie is roommates with Pan. Pan/OC.]

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Once! No copyright is intended.

_Music: Howl - Florence And The Machine_

_Author's note: __And the Florence And The Machine obsession continues..._

___Please note this chapter takes place three days after Lorrie meets the lost boys __and the last chapter, where she had a nightmare, was the night when she met them_. The second part to the chapter takes place when Peter and Felix were "sulking about in the trees" as Lorrie thinks, a few chapters ago. Just to clear things up if you get confused, see you at the end of the chapter! 

* * *

**Chapter 7**

Something was off about Peter today, and everyone knew it. Every since the night of the fire, he had been constantly switching between two, very different personalities; a double personality, an alter ego perhaps. Peter was anxious about something, furiously muttering to himself as he strode across the room and back. He was deliberating on something, and to be completely honest, the words were those of a mad man's ranting. And quite possibly that was Peter today.

Lorrie watched with a keenful eye, observing him silently as he paced back and forth. She had made several attempts to talk to him earlier in the morning but every time she middle so, he simply offered the same reactions that screamed, 'leave me alone'. Each was the same; he flinched, squeezed his eyes closed and clenched his fists into to tight balls. Only heaven knew what was really going on in that little head of his, but if Lorrie had to guess, she would definitely say that he was desperately praying that she would leave him be every time she opened her mouth.

"Why are you ignoring me?" Her voice barely grazed the atmosphere but her words clung onto him like a newly formed layer of skin. It dug deep into the freshly opened wounds and scarred him. He wanted to say something, to say he was not upset with her but he simply couldn't. It was as if he had lost his ability to speak and could therefore only stand mute.

With pleading eyes, she said faintly, "What did I do wrong, Peter?"

Frowning in disappointment, she turned away, giving him the cold shoulder despite the fact that he didn't show he really cared, but anyone who knew him well, also knew he did care. Very much so. Nothing she did seemed to matter to him, and so she began to set it in her mind that Peter didn't either.

But Peter didn't have it in him to look into her big blue orbs, filled with tears. He lacked the strength to tell her that _she didn't do anything_. Despite how much it ached inside, tore him down mentally, he would never say that aloud.

And then she whispered the only words that could break him, "Please tell me what I did to make you hate me."

"I could **never** hate you." It was a desperate attempt for fear that he would lose her, and before he could stop it, the words blurted out effortlessly like he had been awaiting it all this time. He sighed a loud exhale and turned, staring down at his bare feet. It did not take much to know that she had heard him. He continued to avoid her gaze like a coward, his head dangling form his neck weakly as he scowled at himself for being so pathetic as to not even meet her glance.

To Lorrie, that was all she needed to hear. She flung herself into his arms, and he caught her as they both fell to the ground. She muttered weakly, "Please don't ever do that again Peter."

The burning tone in her voice was pleading to him, and all he really wanted to do was cradle her in his arms for the rest of the night, but he couldn't. He had spent the past three days preventing himself from slipping, slipping further into her grasp. The last three days were ripping him apart, each minute not spent talking to her or holding her in his arms, only solidified and turned what little human emotions he had left, into darkness, black like his heart. When he heard her crying, it was like all that effort and hard work came crashing down and all he really wanted to do was hold her and tell her he never wanted to leave her every again. But the darkness in him fought back, it instructed him to be strong, to not sway to his emotions, or he would lose her forever. He had to abide by the guidelines the darkness had placed upon him, rules set for him, but in truth Peter Pan was never one for boundaries.

In the end, he ignored every better instinct in himself and, he **gave up** the part of him that resisted and **gave into **the portion of him that, embraced mystery and mischief.

And so, he leaned down and kissed her.

* * *

_Three days ago_

_"What were you thinking Pan?" Felix snapped at Peter, while he plopped himself standing beside his once companion. "Bringing a girl here? **Her** here?"_

_Felix was fuming, but Peter was too. "I do not need to explain my actions to you Felix. Especially where they concern Lorrie." He let her name linger on his mouth as he savoured how her name tasted. It was sweet heaven against his lips. But he was soon brought back down to Earth by Felix's loud ranting._

_"She's changing you! Can't you see? She's turning you against us, Pan." Peter didn't budge an inch when Felix moved closer, daring him in the eye, and made several jabs at Peter. "You've been spending less and less time with us, your own family! since you met **her**."  
_

_"I am doing nothing of the sort." Peter barked, standing up to his full height. Even then he was a good 4 inches taller than him, but it did not faze Peter. He held his ground with his firm stance, crossing his arms but never tearing his eyes away. "And Lorrie has nothing to do with this." He snarled defensively._

_Felix shrunk back slightly, recoiling within before lunging out with his next attack. __"She has to do with everything! She's the reason why you're abandoning us!" He seethed through his teeth and challenged Peter. "She's a devil in disguise."_

___"You don't get to talk about her, let alone mention her name without my consent. You got that?" _With a malicious glare, he growled at Felix, exuding what could only be seen as dominance. Never before had Felix done anything of the sort. Felix knew better, he had been around long enough to know never to challenge Peter, but Lorrie's presence agitated him endlessly and the constant way Peter spoke about her slowly pushed him towards the edge, until he finally snapped. 

_"She's got you tricked! You're wrapped around her little finger like a puppet doll and whatever string she's pulling at now, she's turning you against us. __You're changing Pan, and there's no doubt in that." Felix was now just inches from Peter's face, both of them fuming out red. "But there is doubt in **you**, the magnificent, marvellous, magical Peter Pan. The lost boys are beginning to grow restless, they're questioning **you**. They don't think you're fit to rule anymore."_

_He paused. _

_"And neither do I." _

_"I don't appreciate the doubt you place in me, dear Felix. If they, **you**, don't think I'm__ fit to rule anymore, why hasn't anyone challenged me? Why has no one come to claim the throne?" Peter tempted him, throwing his arms to the side, gesturing to himself with extended arms. "If I am so weak, so powerless as you now make me out to be, why haven't **you-" **He shoved Felix in the chest."-done anything about it?"_

_No other words were exchanged between the two. __It was clear who had bested the other._

___Though the fight was over, Peter knew it would never really be over. When Peter looked into Felix, he could see nothing but blackness, it was as if darkness had consumed him. His eyes were not the green that belonged to who Peter once called his friend, it was black, **evil**. It frightened Peter a little to realise that his friend, his longest and most loyal friend had been taken by evil spirits at work. He was corrupted, and not the once cheerful and full of gleam little boy, he had once grown up with. He wasn't just possessed by darkness. Now he was it. _

___._

___._

___._

_After Peter's reassertion as the only ruler, Felix took a step down and stalked away, into the cover of darkness of the night. He was not seen for the rest of the night, and Peter remained silent too, sitting by himself, away from the group huddled around the camp fire. __A rift had begun to grow between the two who used to be as close as brothers. Felix blamed this on Lorrie, and secretly, he begun to plan his revenge on Peter that involved a very sinister plan starring Lorrie.__.._

_._

_"Oh, just you wait and see Peter Pan. Your world will come crumbling down around you, until everything and everyone you hold dear become ash in my hands. I will tear it down brick by brick if need be. Then you will feel what it truly means to be powerless and alone."_

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_"You will then share my greatest burden, to walk the Earth knowing I took what you hold most dear. I will make her watch while your heart turns black, and the darkness consumes every inch of humanity you have left, until you have a void, only one can fill, and then I will snap her neck like a twig. You will be all alone, like you condemned me to all those years ago when you took the love of my life away from me. _

_A__nd finally, you will feel pain."_

* * *

_I don't know what to say... Sorry I made Felix bad? But there has to be one bad guy okay! Even though Peter's a mix of the two, he's changing, changing for Lorrie. Yay, let's rejoice on their first kiss! _

___Not my best chapter by far, it's too hard to write in this stupid heat! _The next update should be in 3 days, blame this stupid hot weather. It will be a chapter worth waiting for, I promise! 

_L xx_

_Edit: So I went back and fixed all the grammarival errors I could see because I posted this quickly (and really couldn't be bothered to do any more in this dam dreadful heat!)_


	8. Chapter 8

**LOOSE THREADS**

* * *

Summary: "Let's play a game of true love. The first person to feel something for the other loses." "What happens when one loses?" "Oh, I think you already know the answer to that." An evil smile tugged at his lips. "All's fair in love and war, my dear Lorraina." What neither expected, was to be losing to the other. [High School AU!where Lorrie is roommates with Pan. Pan/OC.]

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Once! No copyright is intended.

_Music: Surrender - Digital Daggers_

_Author's note: So, I know I said this chapter would be out a few days ago, but time just... slipped away. TBH, I was too caught up in finding new, fabulous music. That's not meant to be an excuse, but I can promise you that I will try to update much faster this week because the hot weather is gone, disintegrated into thin air! (Thank god!) So, without further ado, chapter 8..._

* * *

**Chapter 8**

"Peter?" She woke up with his name tingling on her lips. She spun around, swinging her bare legs over the side of the bed, letting her feet fall effortlessly to the ground. Her toes brushed the tip of the cold, hard surface and she took a little inhale, almost like taking a sip of tea, and held her breath, feeling the way the cold air rustled past her. Rubbing her temples, she settled her eyes on his bed, hidden away in the darkest corner of the room and far away from sight. Her breathing hitched as she saw the neat bed; unused and had not been slept in.

Peter had slipped out after their little... connection, and obviously had not bothered to come back.

She sighed and let her shoulders sag, _it was not supposed to be this way_. _She was not supposed to feel this way_.

Conflicted,

And confused.

She pushed the memories of yesterday far from thought, and hesitantly stood up, surveying the room once more. Her eyes panned the room silently and quite easily. It was merely a room, a temporary home. There was no sign of personal belongings and truthfully, she liked it better this way. It reminded her that her home was where her family was, and not here, in a boarding school filled with fake students and teachers who pretended to be your friends, only to disappoint you when you need them most.

But as time progressed, Lorrie began to feel like her family was abandoning her, and with each moment spent with Peter, she felt her alliance shifting. He was beginning to feel more like family than her real surrogate one.

She caught sight of a mug resting easily against the plain, brown wooden furnishing, steam rising from the warm liquid inside. She turned the mug slowly, reading the words printed on the shiny surface. 'Tea', it read.

_How fitting, _she snorted.

There was a note beside it, written simply in cursive letters, 'drink up.'.

Lorrie assumed it was a present left for her from Peter, and she smiled widely. Thinking that maybe a little part of yesterday was not a mistake, and all was not lost with Peter.

And so, she drank.

* * *

Lorrie woke up, much later into the day, when the sun had begun to set behind the stormy mountains. Groggy and delusional, with her head spinning at a thousand miles per hour, she could barely make out the shape of a person watching her. It was lurking in the shadows, and she tried to narrow her eyes at him, or her, still too fogged in the mind to fully comprehend. She failed miserably at trying to pin-point the exact location of the person, it was as if it was bouncing from tree to tree, hiding in the darkness.

"How nice of you to finally join us Lorrie." It spoke, a dark and demeaning tone deep-rooted into the person's voice. It was laughing manically, but she was too drugged to notice.

"What do you want from me?" She mumbled, eyes closing dizzily as her head rolled from one side of her shoulder to the other, while her brain was more concerned about sleeping, and how tired she suddenly felt. So she let herself close off the world and let herself fall into another deep slumber.

It's voice was frightening, "All good things come to those who wait."

* * *

She snapped awake a little while later, the third time today. Her eyes were now much clearetowns she could properly focus but it did little as now, she was blindfolded. The taste of the rough fabric still lingered in her mouth and she tried to spit out the awful taste, but she ended up choking on her own saliva. She assumed the mystery person was still somewhere close by, and even if she had a good chance of escaping the binds that pinned her down to a chair, he would surely have caught up to her before she found any signs of civilisation. She recalled when she woke earlier, despite her drugged mind, she noted that she was in the middle of a cave, and she could barely see the sunlight shining from outside.

But te last thing she remembered before that was drinking the tea that Peter had left for her. _He couldn't have possibly done this to her. He couldn't. He wouldn't. Right?_

The more the questions clogged her mind, the more doubt she had that it was a mistake to have put so much trust in Peter. As the realisation dawned on her, she mentally began to beat herself, thinking of all the things he had done to gain her trust, starting from the first day they met. He had to have been planning this from the very start. She scowled, yelling, scolding herself, for being such an idiot and to not have known that she was mindlessly playing along with his wants, his needs. . It had been that all this time, _it was just a game_.

And now he had won.

_Oh, how stupid she was. _

He had told her from the moment he first spoke, he had warned her, that they were playing a game. All this bloody time, it was all for his entertainment. And what fun it would have been to watch her, the girl who always had her guards up, walls built of concrete that no drill, no sledge hammer could puncture, and here he came, waltzing in the front door, that she had not built, and bring her down from the inside. Doing all that without her noticing.

She let out a crazy laugh of her own. _How stupid she was, indeed. _

He must've thought so too.

Lorrie began to picture him, watching from the VIP seats as she played the field by herself, whilst all this time, he was on the sidelines, pulling at her strings like a puppet. The stadium filled with crowds and masses of people laughing, cheering - not with her, but _at_ her.

She felt exposed, so gullible for trusting a boy who had a mind of a child, and liked to do nothing but play games. She prided herself in making everyone believe that she was a strong-willed and determined character, but obviously, so obviously, Peter had proved that wrong too. He paraded her, as what she had always seen herself as, weak and vulnerable.

In a desperate attempt to cover herself from a humiliation, she pulled her arms to protect her chest, _the place where her heart was_. Only to find her hands and wrists bound to the chair she was sitting in. She was now, really, as helpless as she was in her thoughts. Being so caught up in her own scrutiny and trial, she was unaware that in reality, she was bound in a chair, a bind covering her eyes.

Despite the hard, crusty exterior, Lorrie was a frightened little girl on the inside, who wanted nothing but the approval of her mother and father, and they were partly the reason why she came to the stupid boarding school. Right now, at that very moment, Lorrie didn't want _approval_ anymore, she wanted to _prove, _not to them, but to herself, that she deserved some recognition for all her hard work. She deserved way more than they were willing to give to her. Everything she had done in her life was to please her parents, but now, she was going to do what she wanted, how she wanted them to be done, and when she chose fitting. They no longer held anything over her.

_She was free. _

And so, she decided to test her new-found freedom, expressing herself in whatever way she found content. "Let me go you bastards!" She voiced, stunning both herself and her captor. She had never been so negative, or so blatantly rude. However, now, she was a new person; she had broken free of the chains that held her down and not enslaved to become a lady of the higher class. Right then at that moment, she was Lorrie. The girl that did not give a rat's ass who she'd have to beat to get rid of these futile bonds.

"Had a nice epiphany I see."

"Yeah, something like that." She muttered, letting her greasy hair fall over her sweaty face, although she couldn't see through her thick blindfolds, she didn't want her captor any closer to her than necessary. "How long was I out?" She asked demandingly.

It chuckled, "I think you're in no position to demand anything of me love." He paused, and she heard soft impacts on the ground, footsteps, "But a few hours, I would say."

She gritted her teeth together, still trembling slightly, "Why have you brought me here?" She swallowed painfully, feeling her throat tighten with coarseness. She ran her tongue over her bottom lip, soothing the cracked and dry surface.

She rethought her words, wondering what she had said that was so funny that had made the person chuckle insanely. It smacked its lips together and clapped his hands loudly in satisfaction. Lorrie shifted in her seat, leaning away from the direction footsteps came from. She rolled her fists in circles, tugging at the tape that pinned her hands down, she pulled and pushed but neither loosened the binds.

She gasped when she felt its hand on her cheek, stroking her skin with its raw and coarse fingers. She flinched away when she could feel its breathing on the left side of her cheek. It held her face in its hand, clutching her cheeks tightly in its palm, moving it side to side, inspecting it like a new doll.

"You're very pretty." It commented. Its voice was masked, but it sounded like it belonged to an older man. Lorrie was truly frightened now but she made no move to escape, scared for her life.

"It's a shame I won't be seeing anymore of you." He lips curled into a dark grin and he cocked up an eyebrow. She shuddered when he let his words leer. He placed a finger on her lips, "Ssh. Don't worry love."

She let out in a defeated whisper, "What do you want with me?"

He ignored her and let out a low chuckle as she began to tremble once more under his gaze, "It won't be long now."

With shaky breaths, she swallowed down the looming dread screaming in the back of her mind, and she asked her final question, "Long 'till what?"

.

.

.

.

.

"Your death."

* * *

_I'm sorry! I know you guys probably wanted a make out from the two lovebirds, which I can probably slip into a chapter some where into the future, but for now, this angst and betrayal from Lorrie can probably suffice. (Or not). __Who do you think it is? Is it Peter? Is it the Lost Boys? Or is it someone we haven't met yet! Tell me what you think in a review - I would love to read what you guys think of the story so far. _

_L xx_

_P.S. I have a surprise for all you readers when this story reaches 2,000 views! I am seriously so excited because it was only a few chapters ago that I was barely reaching 1,000 views but now it's a whopping 1,700! So, it will be out probably the same time as the next chapter comes out. Capeesh? Yay!_


	9. Chapter 9

**LOOSE THREADS**

* * *

Summary: "Let's play a game of true love. The first person to feel something for the other loses." "What happens when one loses?" "Oh, I think you already know the answer to that." An evil smile tugged at his lips. "All's fair in love and war, my dear Lorraina." What neither expected, was to be losing to the other. [High School AU!where Lorrie is roommates with Pan. Pan/OC.]

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Once! No copyright is intended.

_Music: Brave - Sara Bareilles_

_Author's Note: __Your surprise has already been posted! It is under 'Love is War', inspired by how Peter always says, "Love and War" but with a twist (and also the song by Hilltop UNITED is pretty great too). So, go read it! I might have another surprise when I get to 4,000 views._

___Enjoy this extra long chapter for the extra long wait. _

* * *

**Chapter 9**

"Felix please-"

"I told you Peter. There will be consequences if you didn't listen to me. And now, sweet, sweet, _dear,_ Lorrie-

-**will die.**"

.

.

.

.

.

.

_12 Hours Ago_

"I got coffee, sleepy head!" Peter shouted through the flimsy door, that separated the noise filled hallway from the silence that awaited on the other side of the wall of wood. He fumbled a moment with keys, _why did they need so many keys for a bloody room anyway?_ He switched the tray into his other hand, the cardboard box containing two hot - or rather, now cold (_okay, maybe luke warm) _coffees for the two misfits who rather enjoyed each other's company, despite their tendency to _not _admit so_. _

Once the key slid in the lock, he turned it clockwise until there was an audible _click_. Pushing his back against the wooden frame, he used his right leg to kick the door open. Wood scraped against wood, as the door budged open slightly. It was a problem, a fairly big one at that; the stupid door would _not_ open, no matter _what_ they tried. Not satisfied with the outcome of his first try, he attempted to kick again, and this time it swung widely, baring the open doorway with a very disgruntled boy with messy hair in his daggy track pants. He nodded, content with the entrance, and took a prided step inside the room. However, Peter realised that he had, _in fact_, kicked it so hard the second time round, it flung hard against its hinges and crashed into Lorrie's bedside table with a huge _bang_.

He winced, turning slightly to the left away from the disaster.

_If Lorrie wasn't awake before, she surely would be now. _

_With an angry, morning face too. _

"Whoops." He whispered as he saw the back fling of his actions. Every object that had been placed on the table where now shattered or in clumps on the floor. He stared blindly at it for a moment, _actually _wondering whether he should just leave and say that someone broke into the place; his side of the room was messy enough to make that believable.

He then laughed, something he had not done in a very long time. And it wasn't a chuckle, _no he always did that_, it was a genuine laugh. His chest tingled with a new-found sensation as the laughter continued to pour from deep down in his stomach. It was a peculiar feeling to Peter, it was almost foreign. He had really forgotten what it was like to be _truly_ happy, and for no apparent reason. His usual demeanours gave him the satisfaction of _winning _- and it was _fabulous_ - but he had never, ever, experienced laughter like this.

_And it was marvellous._

It continued on like so for another couple of minutes, and by the time his outbreak had subsided he found himself collapsed over Lorrie's bed, clutching onto his stomach. It was then, that it dawned on him that Lorrie wasn't there. The bed he was now cradled in was empty, but it was warm. She _had_ been there, not long ago too. _But where could she have gone?_

Slowly and cautiously, he placed the luke warm coffee onto the now up-turned table. There were now dents and chips into the edges of the wood but it was more than 50 years old already. Surely it was time for a replacement. _And who in their right mind would ever think to put a table right behind the door anyway?_

With his free hands he started to pick up the discarded pieces of glass and other random pieces. He smiled when he found a book amongst the rubble; the Pied Piper. Peter smiled, running his fingers along the well-used book. All its corners had been torn off, except for one which was now hanging by a limb. The spine was pretty much non-existent and the book flopped around in his palms. Even through all that Peter still managed to smile at it, obviously it had been loved by the reader very much, although it was in a pretty bad condition.

His fingers wandered over many priceless treasures to worthless junk and his eyes soon followed. However, there was one major thing wrong with the scene in front of him; a mug.

It did not fit. The mug was certainly out of place because Peter had never seen it before.

He picked up the broken pieces, examining it closely but with caution to not prick himself on the sharp edges. Then accidentally, he inhaled a small whiff of the substance that _was_ in the cup but now pooled into a small puddle at the base of the bed. It smelt absolutely horrible.

Peter began to feel a little light-headed, his vision fade and objects soon started to blur into one massive blob. His mind was off running miles elsewhere while his body felt more detached by the second. His fingers felt heavy as he held them up for inspection and they dropped down to the ground straight after. The smell was pounding in his head as hammering sounds of footsteps came rushing through his ears.

All his senses had become extra tuned; now he heard everyone and noticed everything.

Then it all started to fade.

And all Peter was left with was a excruciating head ache and a iffy nose.

"Chloroform?" He whispered, not concerned for his own wellbeing but for that whose name was on his lips, "Lorrie."

His phone began to vibrate violently, shaking his right leg from numbness. He fiddled around, awkwardly shifting from side to side to allow easier access to the device in his pocket.

"Hello?" His voice quavered, the lingering side effects of being drugged - even for a few seconds.

"Hello _Pan_." The excitement was barely hidden from the caller's voice as he danced at the thrill of a game (one that was originally _Peter's_ game), "You don't sound so great."

"FELIX!" Peter yelled into the phone.

"Long time no see."

"You son of a bitch, where is she?" Peter slurred, clapping his teeth together, the aftertaste of the drugs still present. Although he didn't directly taste it, it had been there long enough to diffuse into the atmosphere and when the wind hustled in from the window, he swallowed a large amount of the toxic gas.

"Slow down, _Peter_. What are you talking about?" He was acting innocent, "Where is who?"

He growled. "Where is she? Lorrie. Where is Lorrie?"

"Oh, she's right here." He laughed menacingly, having way too much fun with the current predicament. Poor, innocent Lorrie gagged and bound to a chair, blindfolded and held at the mercy of one brutal kidnapper in a place only a sociopath would ever look.

"Put her on the phone." It was a command.

Felix just chuckled darkly, "Now why would I do that?"

"Just fucking do it Felix. I am not joking around."

"Okay jeez." He fake whined. Peter could only hold his breath and wait in anticipation. "Say hi to Peter love."

Small, scared whimpers then followed.

"Lorrie?"

"Peter?" She sounded so frightened. Strangled sobs and hushed sniffles came from the other side of the line as Peter could only listen helpless; whispering reassuring words to her repeatedly. Short words were exchanged between the two and the imminent dread lied awake at the back of his mind.

"I'll get you out of there, alright? Just don't worry Lorrie. Okay?" Peter didn't sound convincing as he tried to reassure Lorrie that all would be right in the end. It was Peter that needed to hear her voice more than anything; a motivation, a clear goal to propel him forward - he _had_ to get Lorrie back safely.

The phone was snatched from her, ruffled sounds and muttered begs came through the phone in cracked reception. He could only listen stunned as Lorrie was once again torn away from him. The urgency then hit him as a tidal wave. She was there, with his _former best friend, _who was now really a sociopath. That son-of-a-bitch kidnapped Lorrie, _his Lorrie_. And he was going to _pay_.

It was Felix who spoke first, "Well wasn't that just touching. _Really_. It just warms my heart."

"Don't you dare touch a single hair on her head, do you hear me Felix?" Peter hissed, trying to sound intimidating.

"Wouldn't dream of it, _Pan_." He mocked, "As long as you do what _I_ say."

"What do you want from me?"

"What do you think I want?"

"Peter, don't do what he says!" Lorrie screamed through the phone.

There was a loud slap that rung through the phone and Peter could've sworn it was so hard he felt the vibrations through the technology. Panic rioted through his body and anger replaced the distress making its way to his mouth.

"You fucking bastar-" He bellowed furiously.

"You've got 2 hours. **No more.**" The line disconnected and Lorrie was gone. "**No less.**"

* * *

"I will not listen to you, you low-life scumba-" A loud disturbing shatter echoed through the air as ragged breaths escaped from the bound girl.

She groaned and rolled her head over so it was hanging limply by tiny threads, eyes dropping from the drugs and the tiresome effort that accompanied the charade she tried to uphold; asserting herself strong and not weak-willed.

"Thought you knew better than to agitate the person who is holding your life in their hands." He tempted, squeezing his hands in a rolling motion, picturing her heart in his hands and how vulnerable and at mercy she would be when he could crush her to death at any given second.

He walked closer to her, peering curiously at her through her front bangs that had now covered her bruised eye. Tentatively he removed a strand and inspected the growing patch of purple. She winced when his fingers grazed the tender area and snapped her head away when he pressed harder into the painful area. She hissed and shot him a nasty glare, fists bunching into a ball as she shook and thrashed in her chair.

"Oh sweet Lorrie, it's a shame you have that bruise covering your pretty little face." He held her chin in place with his rough fingers. They pressed forcefully, with enough strength to leave new bruises. Lorrie assumed that was the intention; to leave his fingerprints on Pan's belonging.

_But she was nobody's toy._

She gulped and took a deep exhale when he released her, her hair sweeping over her sweaty face as she ran her tongue over her cracked lip. _In this very rare scenario however, she would not particularly mind if Pan paid her a visit now, providing that he gets her the hell out of there._

He was still within inches from her face and unflattered, she spat in his eye, "Get away from me."

He wiped the spit off his face with the back of his palm and with a menacing grin on his face, he retreated backwards. "Don't be like that love. It won't be long now."

She glared at him through the thin layer of mattered hair, eyes ice cold and sharp as razor blades.

He laughed when he saw her, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, a nice and round black eye, and of course his handy work; bruised fingertips on her cheeks and chin. Years of betrayal and disgust stained her cheeks but she continued to look at him, mumbling indecent words.

She screamed and thrashed, hoping the binds would magically loosen, "Let me go!"

"I will. _Once_ Peter is here."

She swallowed.

"What do you want with him?" She said faintly.

"I'm going to make him suffer."

* * *

_Present_

"Time's up! Guess he doesn't love you as much as I thought he did. No matter, I'll just kill you and be on my merry way." He stated plainly, tilting his head to the left as he brought the stone down to his most prized possession with a clang. After a few more clashes, he brought the silver dagger up for inspection. He turned it at the hilt and twirled in his fingers.

"Fuck _you_." She hissed.

The evil smile slipped from his face and he chuckled huskily, ignoring the frail girl. She stared at him enraged, her eyes burning deadly hot. He continued to strike at his dagger, sharpening the tool which she could only assume he was going to use to kill her. She felt her breath hitch as she prayed silently; she used to be afraid of death, _now_, she was only terrified of Felix.

He held his demonic smirk and she in return, replaced her fear with fake pretences of strength.

"Do whatever the hell you want from me. I'm just glad you won't be able to touch Peter anymore."

He laughed turning up his chin, "Well, we'll see about that -_ actually_ I will, you _won't_ because you'll be dead."

He pressed the sharp edge of the knife to her throat and she hissed when she felt it draw blood. When she flicked her eyes back to his face, all she could see in his eyes were revenge. His lips curled up revealing his whitened teeth and his other hand snaked its way behind Lorrie's neck, tugging it towards him.

"Don't worry love. I'll make it quick and painless, because having to live with Pan is enough torture already." He hinted towards her looming, _and soon approaching _death.

Lorrie retaliated by shooting him the most threatening glare she could muster and puffed out through her loose bangs, "Just kill me."

"Its such a shame I have to though, because I would rather make you mine." He whispered drawing trembles from the fragile girls body. She understood his perverted intentions and she voluntarily snatched her face away from him.

"Go to hell."

He did not look remotely affected by her words, "I'm already going there for eternity. I'm just contemplating on whether to give myself a little gift before I go."

"You sick bastard!" She thrashed around in her chair, swinging her head around wildly. She tensed and pulled against her binds, and flailed about when he took her face into his hand. The blade was still inches from her face. He gripped her tangled hair tightly and wound it around his fist, pulling it down until she was looking him in the eye with his chin turned upwards.

With a wicked smile he teased, "Won't you sing for me Lorrie?"

He looked at her curiously and she slammed her eyes closed. He brushed her bangs from her side and leant down to place his lips on hers. She struggled against his touch but soon gave up, knowing it was worthless to try. He slid his mouth over her cheek other and muttered dirty words. She shook violently beneath him as he clasped one hand over her mouth, using the other to place the dagger again her neck once more.

"Please stop." She begged and cried.

She could only pour tears and small whimpers as the older boy stroked her cheek and began to kiss down from her ear to her neck. She was now pleading; sweat staining her face and whines escaped her petrified body. He had unbound her but now had her pinned on the ground, his heavy body hovering over hers. She rolled sideways in futile attempts to swat him away but he grabbed the blade and held it brutally to her neck.

"Get away from her Felix." The voice echoed through the cave and Lorrie gasped at the recognition of the voice's owner.

Felix straightened up his back, swinging the knife just inches from her face. She gulped as she felt the air whoosh just centimetres from her cheek. She peeled her eyes open to find Felix crawling off her slowly. He pulled down his shirt and turned to face the mystery guest.

"How nice of you to finally join us, _Pan_."

"I said, get away from her." He growled furiously.

He put up one hand, the other clutching the dagger still and took a step sideways out of Pan's line of sight. "I'm going."

Pan began to move towards Lorrie, breaking into a brisk jog as he was within reaching distance. Felix grabbed him by the back of his collar and pulled him back, causing him to stumble backwards. He narrowed his eyes at his _'friend' _and voiced,

"Let. Her. Go."

Felix retorted, "Why would I do that?"

"Because I'm warning you."

"And what are you going to do to me?"

"I'm going to kill you." He bared his teeth into a snarl, his lips turning into a cold smirk.

"You can try Peter. But then whose to stop me from bringing her down with me?" Despite his antics, Felix stared unamused, still standing grounded between Peter and Lorrie. He was all that stood between Peter and his happy ending. Pan crept closer to Felix now only two meters away, but as he made another step, Felix hauled Lorrie up into his hands. The blade pressed firmly against her throat and she gasped.

"Felix please-"

"I told you Peter. There will be consequences if you didn't listen to me. And now, sweet, sweet, _dear_, Lorrie" He paused, clacking his tongue to the roof of his mouth, "-**will die**." Felix raised the knife upwards and then, in a swift motion and with a flick of his wrist, he brought the knife down.

"**Felix NO!-**"


	10. Chapter 10

**LOOSE THREADS**

* * *

Summary: "Let's play a game of true love. The first person to feel something for the other loses." "What happens when one loses?" "Oh, I think you already know the answer to that." An evil smile tugged at his lips. "All's fair in love and war, my dear Lorraina." What neither expected, was to be losing to the other. [High School AU!where Lorrie is roommates with Pan. Pan/OC.]

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Once! No copyright is intended.

_Music: Just Tonight - The Pretty Reckless_

_Warning: Fighting scenes ahead, and there will be mentions of blood and lots (I mean loads) of swearing. This is why it is rated M, so read it on your own terms._

* * *

**Chapter 10**

"**Felix NO!-**"

Against every fibre in his being, Peter rushed forward grappling Felix to the floor. Though Felix was certainly stronger, Peter held the advantage. Peter was pissed, _really pissed. _

The knife dropped from Felix's hand mid-air and plummeted down to the ground with incredible speed. Seconds slowed down to minutes and both boys stared at the shiny falling object stunned. The blade was inches from striking the both of them before both rolled to their opposite sides, narrowly missing the blade by mere millimetres.

The two boys puffed out relieved breaths, their heart pounding in their chests and their body too shocked and overwhelmed to move a muscle. Simultaneously, they raised their heads to stare the other in the eye. Peter spared a quick second to look at Lorrie. Her body was limp, her head was dusted with mud and soil and her hair was sprawled out in all directions now dirtied with blood. Peter stood frozen as he eyed the trail of blood escaping the back of her head. Her night gown was ripped and shredded in places; her pale skin glowing with pale purple bruises.

"FELIX!" Peter roared, his voice echoing on the stone walls and booming across the forest just beyond the cave. He pushed himself onto his feet and dragged his weight over to where the young girl now laid stained with her own blood. Breathing heavily, Peter hauled her into his arms and cradled her.

"No, no, no. Please Lorrie." On his knees, he cried out the young girl's name over and over on repeat, like a mantra. He whispered but he did not cry. No, he did not even shed a tear. Peter was emotional, _yes_, but he was also fucking angry.

He placed a soft, gentle kiss on Lorrie's forehead before rising to his feet. He looked upon Felix again, his hands stained with the young girl's blood, every trace of humanity left him and all he wanted to taste was _revenge._

"This turned out better than I hoped." Felix mused.

"You killed her! You fucking son of a bitch!" He was screaming, his hands shaking by his side and his nostrils fuming with rage. He grabbed Felix by the collar and looked him in the eye.

However, Felix did not share Peter's remorse. He looked ecstatic about what had just occurred; he was grinning from head to toe as Peter hoisted him off his feet. Blood was dribbling from the corner of Felix's lip, painting his teeth red when he grinned. The taller boy of the two did not struggle, and simply let Peter slam his back into the back of the tree repeatedly.

"You killed Lorrie." Peter muttered accusingly.

"And what _fun_ it was!" Felix chuckled and his smug smirk only grew larger.

"I'll fucking kill you!" Peter smashed the boys body back into the tree once more and even he winced at the loud impact. Though he did not notice, red being the only thing he could see. His forehead was now creased into a malicious frown and his lips were tightened into a firm line. His fists were balled and buried themselves deep into Felix's shirt.

"Go ahead." He teased.

"Don't fucking tempt me you bastard!"

"Why? Can't handle it _Pan_?" He spat, "Still_ too weak_ to kill me?"

"You think I won't?"

"I_ know_ you won't."

"You don't fucking know me." Peter hollered loudly, "Not anymore you don't."

"Oh, but I _do._ You're _Pan_, the same old weak willed boy that I met four years ago. Unable to feel pain, unable to love; not able to do anything! You're fucking pathetic! Pathetic I tell you! You were _always_ the feeble one in the group."

"You're just jealous that the boys didn't pick you as a leader!" He snapped outraged but his voice wavered slightly and Felix caught on quickly.

"Damn right I am! I deserve it. I do everything for them, I maim, I torture, I _kill_. You? What have you done?" He let the biting words sink in, "Nothing. Because you're not a leader _Peter. _You're nothing, you're useless."

He spat in Peter's face, and the cold emotionless smile began to fade. His eyes flashed hurt and for a moment his composure slipped, revealed a terrified young boy. But his shields raised up again; the masked strength Peter relied on, began to stretch as fury radiated off him. He was now puffing out steam and before Felix could react, Peter slammed him against the wood for the last time. A resounding snap fluttering through the treetops.

"At least I'm not _you_."

* * *

Lorrie woke up with a massive headache, her eyes searched but found nothing but grey stone and her whole body felt limp. She looked down and found Peter's exhausted body hunched over Felix's unmoving one. She tried to move her fingers but she felt nothing but numb and agonising pain at the back of her head. She continued to try to overcome the paralysis and one finger twitched. One more. Then three others, until she could move her whole body again.

She decided she was better off feeling nothing because a searing discomfort rocketed through her body. She raised her arm to prop her head up and when she did so, she felt a warm liquid pouring from the back of her head. Terrified, she slowly retracted her fingers from her scalp and with one last breath she looked at her hand.

Blood.

She would've screamed if she could, but she couldn't. So, she settled for a panicked whisper, "Peter?"

She saw his body tense up, and his hands stiffened around Felix's neck. She swallowed as she looked at the taller boy's body, his skin pale and the bruises that created a ring around his neck. She stared, shaken by the whole ordeal and watched as Peter swivelled around to her direction.

Blue met blue.

And fire met fire.

He looked over her incredulously, "Lorrie?"

She collapsed back onto the ground, the blood loss finally taking its toll. In her dizzy state, she barely made out Peter's figure, bending over holding her tightly to her chest as the first real tear rolled down his cheek. She gave him a small smile and lifted her hand to his cheek, wiping the tear away gently with her thumb.

He caught her hand and held it to his face, "I thought you were dead Lorrie."

"Do you really think I'm that easy to kill?" She chuckled but coughed when her head twitched in pain. She winced and laid her head back down onto the ground softly, still smiling at Peter. He smiled alongside her, her precious musical laugh ringing through his ears. He couldn't even imagine a life without ever hearing that beautiful sound again.

"Oh Lorrie. What am I to do with you?" He whispered.

Lorrie had never seen anything like what she saw in Peter then. His eyes were shining, bright and blue, so full of hope and gratitude. Tears slid down his bloodied cheek as he watched her joyfully. His hands were shaking and his body was trembling all over, every muscle in his body sore and aching but he held it together. The only thing that mattered most to him was safe; she was going to be okay.

And that was all that mattered.

She was smiling broadly, despite the throbbing numbness at the back of her head. Her cheer faded when she looked to her right; to where Felix still laid frozen. In a petrified whisper, she voiced her troubles, "Is he dead?"

"No, not yet."

"Good." She muttered faintly, nodding at Peter.

"Lorrie, the man tried to _kill_ you. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I let that happen." He barked, perhaps a little too loudly and made Lorrie flinch uncomfortably.

"But you didn't." She looked at him reassuringly, "And now you don't have to kill him."

He slowly rose, picking her up bridal style. She swayed in his arms as he tucked her protectively into his chest. She noticed the anxious frown on his face as she wound an arm around his neck, burying her face in the warmth of his skin. He huffed every several steps, deliberating on something in his mind, and quite frankly, Lorrie never found out for she was way too exhausted and in pain to take note. She let out a little smile when she looked up at his angelic face; the face that belonged to her rescuer (and lover, not that she would admit this) and relaxed into his arms. She felt herself drift off as she resided to the comforting sound of Peter's heart beating and the feathered footsteps beneath her.

Peter looked down at her one last time, and murmured when he thought she had fallen asleep, "I swear you'll be the death of me."

* * *

_Nothing to say but sorry for the horrible writing on my half. _


	11. Chapter 11

**LOOSE THREADS**

* * *

Summary: "Let's play a game of true love. The first person to feel something for the other loses." "What happens when one loses?" "Oh, I think you already know the answer to that." An evil smile tugged at his lips. "All's fair in love and war, my dear Lorraina." What neither expected, was to be losing to the other. [High School AU!where Lorrie is roommates with Pan. Pan/OC.]

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Once! No copyright is intended.

_Music: Bravado - Lorde_

_Author's Note: Hopefully this clears up a few questions..._

* * *

**Chapter 11**

"Peter." Lorrie stirred in his arms, mumbling his name and other meaningless words in her distressed state. He looked down at her, suppressing a wearied sigh as he placed a chaste kiss on her forehead.

Her eyes fluttered open to reveal a very tired Peter watching over her. She mustered a small smile and gazed up at him fondly, calling his name again,

"Peter." It was soft and genteel, and was a relief to his pained ears.

His chin stretched downwards as he made a move to look at the girl in his arms, a twinkle in his eye lighting up the night sky as he did so.

"Yes Lorrie?" He called sweetly. And it came naturally.

"About Felix…" She spoke softly, treading carefully, "Why did he want to hurt me Peter?" She didn't dare mention the word _kill_ for it sent tremors through her body and brought back horrid memories. Both she and Peter had come to a silent - almost telepathic - understanding that it was not to be brought up to light ever again.

He continued to walk in silence, undisturbed by the whining girl in his embrace. The last time he stole a glance at her, she was pouting like a little child, throwing a tantrum in his arms.

His shoulders sagged and he breathed out heavily, she was definitely not making this easy for him.

Angry at the lack of response on his half, Lorrie demanded, more fiercely now. "Why did he use me to get to you?" she swallowed hard "Why did he say he was going to make you feel the pain you made him feel?"

He closed his eyes and sighed, his breathing becoming coarse and his feet stopped moving under their combined weight. She waited patiently and watched his agitated expression flicker to worry for a millisecond before turning back to its usual emotionless façade.

"It's nothing you need concern yourself with." He answered her stubbornly.

"I think it does Peter," she argued "it very much concerns me because that boy, friend, psycho - _or whoever the goddamn person he is - _just tried to _kill_ me Peter." She was growing increasingly frustrated to why Peter was so determined to shut her out. She whispered the latter more quietly, "Don't I have a right to know?"

Peter sighed and nodded. He looked down at Lorrie, who now looked too big in his arms and released his hold on her, propping her on her own feet as he wobbled unsteadily on his own. Lorrie stuck out a helpful hand but he was elsewhere; his mind drifting off lazily.

When he reached out for her hands, she anticipated on him grabbing her hands for support. Instead, he pushed her hands away with a hiss and withdrew backwards.

He then whispered, "I do think you have a right to know. But whether it is in your best interest, I do not know." He spoke the latter more hushed. Lorrie examined him; he was worn down, obvious by the accents of black and purple bags under his eyes. His face was a ghastly pale complexion, one even worse than her own, and his figure looked all skin and bones. His shoulder jutted from his ragged clothing, which was dirtied with soil and torn to pieces from his recent fight.

She watched over him with worried eyes and a frightened expression, "What did you do to Felix, Peter?"

"What makes you think I did anything to him?" He snapped back hotly, "Why don't you ask what he did to me?"

She frowned at him.

"Because I know you." Was her answer and he looked over her with a hurtful expression. It subsided a little when she added more to her words, "However I also know you're not a bad person, Peter. Yes sometimes, your judgment may be off but your intentions have always been pure."

"How do you know my intentions when you have not been in my shoes? _How_ could you know my judgment when you were not there? _How_ do you know I am not a bad person just because in the weeks I have spent with you, I have not done anything bad? _How_ do you know its not all an act? Tell me that, Lorrie." She shrunk under his stare, "Answer me honestly, _how_ do you know all this?"

"I don't-"

"Exactly!" He cried aloud, "You don't know anything about me."

"But I _do _know you." She insisted, "I know that you can be a little insensitive to the people you hurt and an all-round jackass majority of the time." He glared at her, "But I _also_ know that you're kind hearted and caring, despite what you tend to put forth as a show for others. Do you know how I know all of this, Peter?"

He shook his head.

"Because you came to rescue me. No person _could, and would, _ever do that." She pleaded with him, her eyes begging for mercy as he began to drown himself in his own grief and life of regrets. All the bad choices he had made were pulling him so far down into his own worries that he deluded himself into thinking he was a truly bad person-

-But he wasn't. _He was just lost. _

He was merely a boy who tried to make all the right decisions, for the benefit of the greater good, but all his efforts wasn't enough to overpower all the evil in the world.

(An evil such as that lurking in Felix.)

He shook his head disagreeing, "I am not the person you think I am."

"_Are you not Peter?_ The boy I care for? _Are you not Peter?_ The boy that makes me laugh and tends to me when I am sad?" She cried to him.

He responded by shaking his head once more.

"Then tell me who you are Peter!" Tell me what you did to him!" She beseeched him, "Please."

He shook his head sadly and Lorrie puffed at a strand of hair that fell to the front of her face. She gathered her dress in her arms and took small steps towards him, to which he responded by retreating further into the cover of darkness. Peter shrunk into himself; much like a turtle in its own shell. His head was clouded with delusions and unpleasant memories, which he tortured himself to never forget. He cringed when a twig snapped beneath her foot and he gasped and struggled when she latched her hand onto his forearm.

He stared at her, petrified of being in his own skin. In that moment, Lorrie could see nothing in his eyes but a terrified young boy who had lost his way. But when he spoke his next words, she recoiled at the stinging tone of his voice,

"Everything." Was his answer.

She shuddered at the vagueness of his words and her hand fell numbly to her sides. Using this to his advantage, Peter withdrew, taking several more steps backwards as Lorrie stood frozen.

"What do you mean by everything?" Lorrie asked quietly.

When he didn't reply once more, she made another move towards him. He sent another growl in her direction. Her head snapped back, stung by his hostile reaction.

He was now crouching behind a tree, covering his face with his hands. Every movement she made, sent new shivers down his spine and each new step she took, only provoked him further into his own anguish and demise.

"Peter" she beckoned as gently as she could "tell me please."

It was a beg.

After a pause and a prolonged gaze from Lorrie, he begged frightened words, "Please don't make me Lorrie." He turned towards her, his back arching into a greater angle as his shaggy hair fell over his dampened face.

It was torment to her eyes to see Peter so terrified of himself, and _of her. _

"I have to know." She breathed and finally, he nodded. And so, he began his tale.

.

.

.

.

_'It wasn't that long ago, in fact, it was only four years ago that I met Felix. It was on a chilly winter's evening, and school had just finished, so I was doing what I was always doing, wandering around town. Having lived at the boarding school for pretty much my whole life, it's been hard to find any friends who would want to know a boy who didn't have a loving family to go home to. So every year, after school finishes, I would stay at the house, still. Of course, there were many other students there too - whose families were overseas but would constantly write to them, or call them when the time was right - but I wasn't one of those cases. I was a lost cause. _

_And so, every one else began to think so too - even the teachers. After a little while, I began to convince myself that it would be easier to shut people out, to not _feel_; if I could feel, I could feel hurt; the pain of being left, abandoned. I guess that was where the happy life of Peter ended, and was the beginning of the tragic tale of Peter Pan - the boy who didn't want to grow old, and become one of the monsters who were heartless to leave a boy of 11 years all alone, by himself in the world. This new boy had convinced himself to never grow old, to always play games and to never feel, and when it was time to feel, it would be the reason for his untimely demise.' _

"What are you saying Peter?" Lorrie spoke unconvinced, "That if you feel, you will die?"

"That is exactly what I am saying." She did not understand this concept, so she questioned him, throwing barrels of questions in his direction; to which he either answered or directed elsewhere.

"How can that be?" She said faintly. He looked at her, urging her to think over her question. Her forehead creased in deep thought as her mouth moved to the words she was thinking. They sat like that, Peter silent and Lorrie too focused to concentrate on anything else. When it hit her, she whispered, scared, "But didn't you say that being with me makes you feel?"

He nodded and she gasped. When Lorrie did not speak again, he continued his tale.

_"When I met Felix, he was just as frightened of the world as I was, he was scared beyond means. I found the boy huddling in a corner in a deserted alley. He was in nothing but a thin shirt and torn up pants. I felt sorry for the boy, but I had nothing to give him except a place to stay back at the boarding house. I did not understand how I was still allowed to stay at the boarding house if my parents had passed away, but the head mistress explained to me that a distant relative sent me here rather than housing me where she lived. And I rather preferred it that way now. _

_Anyway, I took Felix back to the room, fed him and nursed him back to health. When he was feeling less ill, I questioned him about his home, his family and friends. He did not answer all the questions except one, to which he said, "I don't have a home. They left me here to die." _

_I felt a pang of sorrow for the boy. He was the same age as I and going through the same circumstances but I had gotten it better. So that day, I made a promise that I would never leave him. And he in return, grateful for my help and friendship, vowed to be always faithful to me._

_And he was. Until-' _

"Until what Peter?" Lorrie gently urged him on with a small nudge of her elbow. He sighed and continued carefully.

_'-Until I killed the girl he loved.'_

"You did what Peter?" Lorrie almost screamed.

"I killed her." Peter stated, regret and pain filling his voice. His eyes were downcast and sullen, and obviously he was shaken, having to repeat his only regret.

"Why?" It was a hushed whisper.

"Because I was careless and jealous." He replied, shrugging his shoulders. Once again, the mask, which allowed him not to feel, had replaced his true self; he was now hiding behind a fake façade.

She nodded understandingly, "What happens now?"

"I don't know Lorrie."

"You're Peter Pan!" She exclaimed, "Surely you must know something." Her voice trailed to a silent stop when she saw how he was shaking his head frantically. She cast her eyes down, utterly confused and scared, "If Felix is alive, will he come after me again?"

"I don't know." He repeated and she huffed madly, but then he spoke again, "I don't know anything anymore Lorrie."

"Does that mean I will never be safe?" She swallowed the lump in her throat, "Will I have to live in fear? Always having to look over my shoulder to see if there is a sociopath chasing after me?-" Lorrie was terrified for her life.

"-No." He interrupted, speaking solidly, "I will not let him touch you ever again, as long as I live, I will never let him hurt you."

He had walked towards her, and was now only inches from her. He was breathing heavily and staring down intently at her, his eyes begging her to look at him. And when she did, he let off a broad smile.

"Why would you do that for me Peter?" She asked him, her eyes searching for hope in his.

And they found it.

They also found something else, something that evoked a familiar warming sensation that coursed through her bones, and made her heart flutter with happiness.

"Because I care about you Lorrie."

.

.

.

.

.

_Peter Pan couldn't love. He couldn't fully give his heart to one person, but Lorrie knew that if he could, he would love her with all his heart. But this was as close as he could get to admitting that he cared for her. And for once, Lorrie really didn't mind. At all._

_._

_._

_"I love you too Peter."_

* * *

_Well, that is it for this story. I am writing another story which will be out soon, still deciding on the name, so you will just have to check in a weeks time. Thank you to all for the love and support and I shall see you soon. _

_L xx_


	12. Chapter 12

Hello everyone!

I just wanted to let you know that my new story is up, it is called 'sweat and tears'. It has a heavier dark side to the plot, including swearing and mature themes, such as smut! So it is ideally for the older readers but if you feel comfortable with it, then go right ahead!

Since this story was doing so well and the new story not so much.. I thought I would let you all know. If you could review/fav/follow or even read it would mean so much to me!

Love you all! xx


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